MOR Bakery Leaving Lincoln Warehouse, Seeks New Space
The gluten-free artisan bakery is set to vacate its Bay View space by the end of the year, but future plans are still up in the air.
MOR Bakery & Cafe. Photo by Jeramey Jannene.
When you think of MOR Bakery, you might associate its title with the word “more.” A fair guess — who could pass up an extra helping of buttery shortbread, bittersweet brownies or crisp biscotti, to name a few?
But the gluten-free artisan bakery actually got its title from the Swedish word for mother. Fitting, since owner Traci Morgan-Hoernke started the business to help her son and others like him, who struggle with food allergies.
In that way, family is the crux of the five-year-old bakery; as the business grows, so does Morgan-Hoernke’s symbolic family. “I address everybody as family,” she said. “I don’t care if you bought a cupcake from us once or if you’re a constant customer. You’re family. And I bake for family.”
Since its launch in 2018, MOR has occupied a space at the north end of Bay View‘s Lincoln Warehouse, 2018 S. 1st St. Originally a walk-in establishment, MOR shifted to online ordering for pickup only during the pandemic and has stuck to the format ever since.
But there’s change ahead for the business, as Morgan-Hoernke prepares to relocate — as well as for the uncertainty that comes with a big move. In particular, Morgan-Hoernke pointed to difficulties finding a dedicated gluten-free facility and substantial rent increases for commercial kitchen spaces.
Meanwhile, inflation continues to complicate pricing for the bakery’s products, which Morgan-Hoernke strives to keep affordable, despite the fact that the gluten-free flour she sources is over four times more expensive than its wheaten counterpart.
“So it’s already a more expensive ingredient list,” she said. “And if I can keep my prices in line for my customer base — because this is their medicine — that is very important to me.”
Morgan-Hoernke has viewed a number of prospective locations for the bakery, but said she’s yet to find a perfect fit. She envisions a space with at least as much space as MOR’s current location (1,900 square feet) that would be able to offer limited walk-in hours, while also balancing the volume of online pre-orders the bakery receives weekly.
“Executing that type of stuff would not be a problem,” she said. “We just need to have enough staff to make everything work.”
In an online post shared Aug. 8, Morgan-Hoernke assured customers that the bakery will continue, albeit in a new format. “We’re still around, and we intend to keep making delicious dishes that delight our customers for a long time to come,” she wrote. “But we’ll soon be doing so in a new setting.”
MOR must vacate its current location by Dec. 31 — at the latest. The 166,356-square-foot Bay View building is also home to Component Brewing Company, Twisted Path Distillery, New Barons Brewing Cooperative, Torzala Brewing Co., Melt Chocolates, Ltd. and a number of other commercial tenants.
Until then, the bakery will continue to operate its weekly pre-order system, offering a wide range of seasonal goods including cakes, cookies and personal pies. The bakery has also introduced a line of baking mixes including beer bread, no-corn cornbread (made with sorghum) and pizza crust mixes.
In addition to being gluten-free, many of MOR’s products are dairy, nut and egg-free in an effort to be inclusive to all eaters. “My statement is always, how far can we cast the net, how many people can we bring to the table?” Morgan-Hoernke said.
The allergy-friendly baked goods are crafted with flour blends including ancient grains such as quinoa, teff, millet and sorghum, as well as tapioca and arrowroot starches. The selections, Morgan-Hoernke said, are based on her desire to increase nutritional value, since many gluten-free offerings on the market are low in protein, vitamins and minerals.
“I wanted to create recipes that had whole grains attached to them and included the things that Mother Nature put there,” she said.
Pre-order forms go live on Sunday afternoons and close Tuesdays at 9 p.m. The next window is set to open on Aug. 20, and will be accessible via the business’s Facebook page. For early access, subscribe to MOR’s email list by sending an email to info@morfoodsmke.com with the subject line “add me.”
MOR Bakery will also continue to vend at the South Shore Farmers Market on Saturdays from 8 a.m. to noon, and will appear at this year’s final Milwaukee Night Market on Sept. 21.
More information regarding the upcoming move and new location will be announced as it becomes available.
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